Cedar Grove Closes Abruptly

Cedar Grove's interior was designed as "a modern forest within the dining room and bar and featuring a farm-to-table menu developed by award-winning executive chef Taylor Kearney," according to NL Group.

Two days ago — Sunday of Memorial Day weekend — Cedar Grove, the Cedar Springs bar and brunch spot that opened in June 2016, hosted its regular monthly drag brunch. By 11 a.m. Tuesday, Cedar Grove's Facebook page had been deleted, and the restaurant had been gutted, with workers outside loading everything down to the glassware into trucks parked outside.

There is no note on the website or front door alerting potential patrons that the restaurant is closed, and diners can still make reservations on OpenTable, but those reservations are for naught; after less than a year in business, the restaurant appears to have quickly and quietly closed.

Cedar Grove was a concept from NL Group, Tim McEneny's restaurant management group, which has created or managed several concepts, including Front Room Tavern in Hotel Lumen and Dish. (Cedar Grove took the place of Dish Cedar Springs, which moved and became Dish Preston Hollow).

Chef Taylor Kearney took the reigns at Cedar Grove last summer, promising a "neighborhood spot" with "simple cuisine, approachable price point with a few quirky things thrown in," he said in a 2016 Observer interview. In early Cedar Grove press releases, NL Group said Kearney would run Cedar Grove's kitchen while still working as executive chef at Front Room Tavern.

When we called Front Room Tavern today to speak with Kearney, a manager said he "no longer works at this location." We've reached out to McEneny and NL Group but have yet to receive a response.

Beth Rankin is an Ohio native and cicerone-certified beer server who specializes in social media, food and drink, travel and news reporting. Her belief system revolves around the significance of Topo Chico, the refusal to eat crawfish out of season, the importance of producing food responsibly and an aversion toward people who describe themselves as "award-winning."